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Supporting hedgehogs in the wild
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Let's bring water to our parks!
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Do you walk in the same park several times a week? You could be a Hedgehog Hydration Hero! Choose a spot where you hide a flat water bowl and refill it regularly with some water from your rucksack. You could use a plant pot saucer and write on it with a waterproof pen: "Water for wildlife, please don't remove". Ideally you find a ceramic one, so we don't add more plastic to our wild woods.
If many regular walkers did this, it would make a huge difference to the hedgehog population in Ealing. Dehydration was one of the core reasons why hedgehogs came into our care during the heatwave. They were thirsty and collapsed in the open, and then were exposed to predators and fly strike. Or they risked it all by leaving their territory in the search of water, and found themselves crushed on busy roads. Some tried to drink from rivers or canals and fell in. Lastly, many nursing hedgehog mothers lost their milk in the dry weather - they then had to leave their hoglets as they could not support them any longer. Very sad - but members of the public could do wonders with a regular water supply. It is easier in gardens, but it can be done in parks and other open spaces too. Let's do it Ealing - let us bring water into the parks! 
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Litter kills hedgehogs - take it home!
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Hedgehogs get injured by sharp edges from glass or tins, and they can get stuck in a tin or in pieces of plastic. If they can stick their head into an empty can or glass jar, they will do it, but often they can't get out. Or they get entangled in pieces of plastic or netting. Please take your litter home.
Litter picking is a great service to the community, but even if you are not a litter picker, if you see a piece of rubbish lying around in the park that might turn into a hedgehog trap, please remove it and put it in the bin. If you find a trapped hedgehog If you find a hedgehog entangled in netting or caught in plastic rings, do not just cut it loose and release it. It will need to see a vet, as it might suffer from deep sitting constriction wounds that are not visible to the lay person and only show after a few days. |
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Dogs and hedgehog safety
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Dog-related incidents with hedgehogs are among the five main reasons why hedgehogs need rescuing. Some dogs pick up hedgehogs and injure them. Others dig up sleeping hedgehogs in their nests, or destroy maternity nests.
Often the dog is not aggressive, just playful, and finds it quite exciting to have found a prickly new 'ball' in the park. For the sake of your dog and the hedgehog, please always know what your dog is doing. When you are jogging, chatting or making a phone call, don't let your dog roam through the bushes and sniffing out hedgehogs. Always keep your dog in call-and-return distance. And even at home, if your dog might be aggressive with hedgehogs, check your garden for hedgehogs before you let the dog out. Switch on the outside light, make a bit of noise, and stay with your dog as needed. 
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If your dog has uncovered a nest If you see a hedgehog in the disturbed nest, control your dog, cover the nest and leave. If it is a maternity nest with hoglets, please read the info about disturbed nests. If your dog has caught a hedgehog Never just release a hedgehog after your dog caught and then dropped it. The hedgehog will have to be checked by a vet. Puncture wounds hardly bleed and are not easy to spot - but they are deep and will cause infections. Also check that your dog is OK. Spines can injure dogs and come loose and get stuck in their mouth. |
Hedgehogs in the road or on the bike trail
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Especially at night, dawn or dusk: slow down and watch out for hedgehogs.
You can easily avoid them, as their reaction to the thread of headlights or noise is not running away, but curling up where they are. So if you stay alert, you can just drive around them.
You can easily avoid them, as their reaction to the thread of headlights or noise is not running away, but curling up where they are. So if you stay alert, you can just drive around them.
Be our 'scouts' for hedgehogs in need
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If you are spending time in nature, please watch out for sick, injured or orphaned hedgehogs. Here are some emergency situations you might encounter on your walk.
If you see a hedgehog out in the day contact us at [email protected], with a clear description of where you spotted the hedgehog (send pictures with landscape features, a pin on Google map, or use the What3words app).
It would be even better if you could stay with the hedgehog until our volunteer arrives. Some walkers who watch out for hedgehogs in need put a carrier bag and a pair of gardener's gloves in their rucksacks; this makes it easy to secure a hedgehog. However, make sure not to remove a foraging mum (one of the only cases of healthy hedgehogs being out in the day). Always contact a rescue first.
- During day time, if you see a hedgehog out in the day, it will need help (in very rare occasions, it could be a foraging mum, but they are easily recognisable as they move fast and with a purpose, collecting nesting material or food).
- At dusk or dawn - if you are still on your walk: alert us of any hedgehog that seems to have collapsed, has visible wounds or flies around it, or is trapped, lethargic, wobbling or running in circles.
- Heavy rain and flooding can be difficult for hedgehogs as they can get stuck on little island within a flooded area in the park. They can swim, but it is hard to swim (or walk) over flooded grass. They get exhausted and are exposed to flies. Important: Never enter deep or flowing water to rescue a hedgehog - get help from EHF first.
- Heatwaves and dry phases will also create extra stress for hedgehogs; please be especially alert in these times as you may see hedgehogs that are lethargic or collapsed out in the sun - they are never sunbathing or resting in the open! They need help.
If you see a hedgehog out in the day contact us at [email protected], with a clear description of where you spotted the hedgehog (send pictures with landscape features, a pin on Google map, or use the What3words app).
It would be even better if you could stay with the hedgehog until our volunteer arrives. Some walkers who watch out for hedgehogs in need put a carrier bag and a pair of gardener's gloves in their rucksacks; this makes it easy to secure a hedgehog. However, make sure not to remove a foraging mum (one of the only cases of healthy hedgehogs being out in the day). Always contact a rescue first.
Watch out for orphaned hoglets
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Hedgehogs of the size of a tennis ball or smaller should still be with their mum. If you see one, don't pick it up prematurely, as mum may be around; at dusk or dawn they may be foraging together. If during the day, their nest might have been destroyed, and mum is moving the hoglets one by one to a safe place. Just watch for about 15 minutes; if you can't see a hedgehog mum taking care of the hoglets, do get in touch.
Another critical time is late Autumn. Hedgehogs should be the size of a pineapple to survive the winter. If you see a hedgehog the size of a avocado or mango, contact us.
Another critical time is late Autumn. Hedgehogs should be the size of a pineapple to survive the winter. If you see a hedgehog the size of a avocado or mango, contact us.